During the past week, the observer has had some in-laws and friends question his loyalty to the state more than a few times, primarily from University of Kentucky fans who don’t understand why everyone isn’t enraptured with their team.
Some of these folks are casual sports fans, who couldn’t tell you who starts for either team. Reared in Kentucky, they were, so they consider the Bluegrass hallowed ground, as if being born in the state is all that is required to have an undying allegiance. They overlook the flaws in their state, just like they ignore the background of their coach, how the team was assembled, and the program’s long history of NCAA violations.
Being from the state and winning basketball games is all they need to seal the deal. Never mind that the state ranks 45th through 50th in everything else. They’re from Kentucky, and nothing else seems to matter.
Maybe the observer’s birth in Ohio contributes to his objectivity — or subjectivity, depending on where one is coming from on the topic. Probably has more to do with being a University of Louisville fan who grew up in Kentucky and has had to put up with UK fans his entire life. You know, the kind of people who have little if anything good to say about my hometown or the university.
These same people who would have denied U of L a football stadium, a football stadium expansion or who will attempt to outdo the best basketball arena in the world, simply because we are Louisville and they are Kentucky. The most rabid of them refer to Louisville as Loserville, even stooping to referring to U of L as Ghetto U at times. They may be smiling when they say it, but it’s not a joking matter.
UK fans are not unique by any means. Fans being fans, the same kind of friction occurs in rivalries across the nation. But being from the same state is not a good enough reason to wish them well or to question one’s loyalty or lack thereof. The proximity only intensifies the rivalry, even among friends.
I have a friend that is on this gimmick of liking both teams. He doesn’t believe I could root against another team in this state. UKant is the only university in the state I don’t root for. What he fails to realize is that that athletic program and it’s blindly loyal fans just glaze over the past infractions of the program.
UKant school administrators, coaches, and certain student-athletes have taken public pot shots at UL. Far too many to name but my dislike for UKant athletics goes back to the mid-seventies when I actually liked a couple of the players UKant had. Goose Givens and Mike Phillips are the only players that I actually rooted for. During the 1975 Final Four, UK was playing Syracuse. Many UL fans that day did root for the state school. But when it was UKant fans time to return the favor they in fact rooted for UCLA. After the game, Joe Hall was asked what if Louisville would have beaten UCLA and they ended up playing for the National Championship, he basically was glad they didn’t have to play UL because UKant had nothing to prove and wouldn’t benefit UKant playing an in-State rival. At that time, UKant had a policy of not playing other in-State schools.
That was enough for me as my allegiance was set. It was also helpful because my favorite color is red. Red, black, and white make for some of the most awesome color combos there is.
I can say it here and not be edited, like I was at the Cardinal Sports message board:
“Now matter what happens this weekend, Rick Pitino is still the only coach the NCAA recognizes as having taken 3 different schools to the Final Four.”
You hit the nail on the head, Charlie. The one thing that the UK faithful will never be accused of is good sportsmanship….not good losers and horribly ungracious winners.
Louisville can only blame slick rick for all its problems he has lost his ability to coach.I look forward to watchinh coach cal bring at least 3 national championships home. hehehehehehehehe
When he brings them home will he set them next to his other Final Fours? Oh wait, sorry…
I’ll save your comment and repost it here the day after the sixteenth NCAA penalty comes down on the Kats and of course the squid won’t have had anything to do with it. But UK will once again be the laughing stock of the basketball world. Then we’ll see whose hehehehe is last!
roll on big blue
Actually, I hope they do hold their breath. It would help the environment.
Awesome. Can I use that?
Be my guest.
Neither are Cincinnati fans necessarily enraptured with Ohio State.
Unfortunately this kind of animosity spills over into the state legislature with Louisville still being considered a sinful city.
Go Huskies! Big East represent